Shloka 16

Devanagari script

छिद्यमाना: शितै: शस्त्रै: क्षत्रधर्मपरायणा: । गतास्ते ब्रह्मसदनं न मे5त्रास्ति विचारणा,जिन महामनस्वी पुरुषोंको शत्रुओंने गिरा दिया था, जिनके पास युद्ध करनेका कोई साधन नहीं रह गया था, जो शस्त्रहीन हो गये थे और उस अवस्थामें भी लज्जाशील होनेके कारण जो रणभूमिमें निरन्तर शत्रुओंका सामना करते हुए ही तीखे अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंसे कट गये, वे क्षत्रियरर्मपरायण पुरुष ब्रह्मलोकमें गये हैं, इस विषयमें मेरा कोई दूसरा विचार नहीं है

Transliteration

chidyamānāḥ śitaiḥ śastraiḥ kṣatradharmaparāyaṇāḥ | gatās te brahmasadanaṃ na me ’trāsti vicāraṇā ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Though they were being hewn down by keen weapons, steadfast in the dharma of the kṣatriya, they have gone to the abode of Brahmā. On this matter I have no other judgment.”

Word by Word

छिद्यमानाःbeing cut (down)

शितैःby sharp

शस्त्रैःweapons

क्षत्रधर्मपरायणाःdevoted to kshatriya-duty

गताःgone

तेthey

ब्रह्मसदनम्Brahma’s abode

नnot

मेof me / my

अत्रhere / in this matter

अस्तिis

विचारणाconsideration / doubt / alternative view

Speaker

युधिछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Brahmasadana (Brahmaloka)

śastra (weapons)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steadfast adherence to kṣatriya-dharma—facing the enemy with courage and honor even when overpowered—is presented as spiritually efficacious, leading to a lofty posthumous state (Brahmaloka).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the aftermath of the great slaughter, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on the fallen warriors and asserts that those who remained committed to the warrior’s duty, even while being cut down by sharp weapons, have attained Brahmā’s abode; he expresses no doubt about this conclusion.